Firefighters Unable To Put Fire Out On Cargo Ship Carrying Lamborghinis, Porsches And Bentleys

When we first learned of theFelicity Ace, CarBuzz reported theblazing car carrier had been abandonedby all 22 crew members following an uncontrollable fire. Over1,000 Porsches and nearly 200 Bentleyswere left on the ship, undoubtedly lost to the floating inferno.Reutersreports authorities are struggling to control the fire that broke out last week. While the cause is still unknown, a number of electric vehicles on board have made it more challenging for emergency responders to douse the flames.

Joao Mendes Cabecas, captain of a nearby port in the Azorean island of Faial, told the news agency the lithium-ion batteries are "keeping the fire alive" and said specialist equipment to fight the fire was en route. "The intervention (to put out the blaze) has to be done very slowly," he said. With nearly 4,000 VW Group vehicles on board, there could be any number of electric vehicles on theFelicity Ace, including several examples of the priceyPorsche Taycan.

With myriad Porsche and Bentley models aboard the car carrier, the total financial loss will be substantial. But it's set to get worse, as several Lamborghinis are also on the burning ship. The number of Italian exotics on board is currently unknown, but it certainly adds an extra sting to an already painful story. Ingolstadt's luxury carmaker has also said there are Audis on board, although the exact amount is currently unknown.

As the fire spread below deck, Cabecas noted rescue teams can only fight the fire from outside, by cooling the ship's structure. Currently, it's still too dangerous for anyone to go on board. The mission is proving particularly difficult, as adding more water to the ship could make it unstable. While the fire is still a safe distance from the fuel tanks, it is spreading. "Everything was on fire about five meters above the waterline."